some of the stuff worth buzzzing about
some of the stuff buzzzing around in my brain
some stuff that just buzzzes hither and yon ... and other musings from the deep dark scary south.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

GOP / Congress never met a corporate welfare king it could deny: healthcare savings down the drain anyone?

Jonathan Weisman of the Washington Post reports today on still more evidence of the growing reality that if we ever did, we no longer live in a 'Democracy' (or 'Republic' for the pedantically inclined). The article is entitled "Closed-Door Deal Makes $22 Billion Difference" whereby "a change to Senate-passed Medicare legislation ....would save the health insurance industry $22 billion.."

In November, as part of a broad budget-cutting bill, the Senate approved a measure to save billions of dollars by reducing Medicare reimbursements to private insurers. Most of those savings disappeared after the final bill emerged from House and Senate negotiations last month.

The change in the Medicare provision underscores a practice that growing numbers of lawmakers from both parties want addressed. More than ever, Republican congressional lawmakers and leaders are making vital decisions, involving far-reaching policies and billions of dollars, without the public -- or even congressional Democrats -- present.

Hell -- forget anyone even being PRESENT when such decisions are made -- they're so arrogant and hubristic -- indeed I would argue UN-American -- that they don't even allow knowledge after the fact unless it's leaked.

We don't live in the land of the free anymore (if we ever truly did). There is no transparency in government, much less in the corporations in control of practically everything. Those people in power especially love all the rightwing nuts who are so enamored of their desire to control highly selective, highly subjective social, reproductive, sexual and moral issues that they have no idea what is really going on where it matters most. Read entire article here.

I repeat once more: I have no faith in the keystone cop party (Democrats) either -- although I think there are some new candidates on the horizon that have good intentions -- but if they make it to national level, they'll be punished for being independent, for not towing the party line (whatever that is -=- see EJ Dionne's insightful column, "Rove's Early Warning", once more documenting (predicting?) the Dems inability to see, much less state or act on the obvious in any meaningful way.

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Number of American Soldiers
killed in 5 year illegal war in Iraq:4000+Number of American Soldiers Wounded by the War:29,000+
Number of people killed in 9/11
attacks: 2,819Number of Iraqi citizens killed by US
in Iraq War: 70,000 - 160,000 Connections between
Iraq and 9/11: 0

Economic loss to New York in month following the attacks: $105 billion
Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million
Total FEMA money spent on the emergency:$970 million
Cost of American Voter Stupidity: Priceless

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